2008 International Conference on Condition Monitoring and Diagnosis, Beijing, China, April 21-24, 2008

Design of HCI System in Monitor and Control

Centre Based on Dry-type Transformer
Temperature Controller
Hainan Long1 and Chun Wang2*
(12College of Electronic and Information Engineering ,Hebei University ,Baoding071002 ,Heibei provinceˈChina )
*E-mail: POGQ#VLQDFRP

Abstract--Dry-type transformer temperature controllers are
installed on transformers and located in different sites outside,
which brings inconvenience to the management and operation.
The HCI(Human Computer Interface) in monitor and control
centre whose function is complete and direct-viewing can be
operated simply and easily, and it can manage and operate many
temperature controllers inside the monitor and controller centre.
Using RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) high speed
MCU(Micro Control Unit) ATmega128, a dry-type temperature
controller is designed, and then embedding ModBus-RS485
protocol, realizing the data communication between 32
temperature controllers and HCI in monitor and control centre.
In this way, a temperature control system is designed. The
hardware design and principle of temperature controller are
introduced, main functions of HCI system that is designed with
Delphi in monitor and control centre are described and design
block diagram of the main program is given, with the
introduction of embedded Modbus-RS485 protocol and CRC-16
checking. Practice proves that the whole system that consist of
temperature controller and HCI in monitor and control centre
runs well.
Key words--dry-type transformer;HCI(Human and Computer
Interface); ModBus; monitor and control centre ; temperature
controller
I. INTRODUCTION
the problems of breakdown automatically and so on. In this
way ,we realize the safe and stable operaton of the entire
electrical power distribution system that consist of 32
transformers and others . And sovle the problem of the
inconvenient operation on temperature controllers located in
different sites,realizing the real-time controlling and setting to
each controller[6].
II. HARDWARE STRUCTURE AND PRINCIPLE OF
CONTROLLER[7-9]
The temperature controller of dry-type transformer based on
ATmega128 is mainly composed from 4 parts[3-4]: MCU(Micro
Control Unit) processor, temperature sensor, A/D module,
display and control module; while as one of the controllers, it
communicates with HCI(Human and Computer Interface) in
monitor and control centre through RS485 just as others do.
Figure 1 shows system structure schematic diagram. Selecting
MCP3204 which is produced by Microchip Corporation as AD
chip, using TLC5620 which Texas Instruments Corporation
produces as DA chip, choosing Max485 which Maxim
Corporation produces as 485 correspondence , using chip
LM324 to make the signal enlargement, using LM7812 and
L7805 to make three-end manostat, a dry-type transformer
temperature controller with high performance and low cost is

D RY-TYPE transformer because of its merits such as

convenient maintenance, fireproofing , dustproofing and
designed.
Display
and
Control
burning isolation, obtains widespread application in our
country in recent years . The winding temperature of
transformer supasses the insulation bearing temperature to
break the insulation ,which is the primary cause for the Temperature
Sensor Pt 100
A/D
Convert
MCU
ATmega128
breakdown of transformer. Therefore, carrying on the
real-time monitoring and controlling to the winding
temperature of transformer, has guaranteed the reliable and
RS485

safe running of transformer.lengthened its service life[1-2]. HCI

According to transformer design target and product request,
choosing ATmega128 as main processor[3-4] ,a temperature
controller with low cost, high reliability and perfect
Temperature A/D
performance is designed Although providing each transformer Sensor Convert
MCU
ATmega128
Pt 100
a temperature controller have just solved the problem of the
protection to one transformer rather than to the entire power
supply system[5]. While through RS485,HCI system in monitor Display
and
and control centre allows the winding temperature Control

demonstration of 32 transformers and the operations on 32

Fig. 1 System structure schematic diagram.
temperature controllers such as writing down working states or
the power-cut records, inquerying history records, processing
Temperature controller of dry-type transformer allows to

978-1-4244-1622-6/08/$25.00 ©2007 IEEE

carry on the real-time monitoring and controlling to the safe
running of dry-type transformer: monitor the running states of
transformers and control the air blower starting of
transformers ;and in this way lengthens their service lives,
keeping the electrical power distribution system runs stably
and safely. Through RS485,HCI system in monitor and control
centre which is designed with Delphi allows the temperature
demonstration and control of 32 temperature controllers
located in many different places outside. Sampling the
transformer temperature by temperature sensor
Pt100 ,electrical signal obtained through enlargement and AD
transformation, is processed by MCU Atmega128, making
temperature controller to realize temperature demonstration
and according to comparison result with control temperature
value, to start air blower ,to alarm ,to trip or not. Meanwhile it
communicates with HCI system in monitor and control center
through RS485 . There will be elaborate introduction in the
next part about it .
III. DESIGN OF HCI SYSTEM
A. Function Introduction
According the request from user, in order to realize
temperature demonstration and control of many temperature
controllers outside, HCI system need to achieve such functions
as Fig2 shows.
Fig. 2 System function diagram.
1. Correspondence Port Setting
The user could modify serial port parameter (port number,
baud rate, data bits, check bits, stop bits) in order to suit for
various serial communication conditions and thus enhances
compatibility to different temperature controllers.
2. Force Air Blower to Start
The user could force air blower of temperature controller
manually, thus give real-time control to the cool system of
transformer and keep the stable and safe running of dry-type
transformer.
3. Inquiry and Print
The user could establish conditions such as temperature
controller address, the beginning and termination date to
inquiry history record of temperature controller and then save,
set the print and print. It facilitates user to exam history
working records of temperature controller and to study
working states of dry-type transformer.
4. Display Time Setting
The user could set the display time of three-phase
temperature curves of one temperature controller, and thus
determines total tour demonstration time of all the temperature
controllers at last realizes many temperature controllers’ tour
demonstration. When need to study temperature curves of one
temperature controller in order to study the working states of
corresponding transformer, a longer time could be set here.
5. Address Setting
The user could add or delete address of temperature
controller to decide which temperature controllers’
temperature curves need to demonstrate in order to study the
working states of corresponding transformers here.
6. Control Temperature Setting
The user could set the temperature value of start or stop air
blower, as well as the temperature value of alarm and trip in
order to exert flexible and automatic real-time temperature
controlling on transformers.
7. Main Interface
There are 2 datasheets in the main interface. The
Current-State one shows the address of temperature controller,
the date and time , the three-phase temperature value, the
control temperature as well as the working states of
temperature controller. It is very convenient for the user to
look over the current and history temperature records, the
history information of start or stop air blower manually or
automatically as well as the modifying value records of control
temperature. The Power-Cut datasheet records the three-phase
temperature value and the temperature controller’s working
states of the power-cut moment , whose function is just like the
“black box,” so it is very convenient for user to study the
power-cut reasons of transformer. Another is the 3 pieces of
temperature curves. The temperature curves simultaneously
show three-phase temperature value, and user can set display
time of each temperature controller (Display Time Setting), as
well as set to
display which temperature controllers’ three-phase
temperature curves (Address Setting).They are the
direct-viewing evidences for user to analyze the working
conditions of temperature controllers . Some indicating lights
tell user the working states of controller and corresponding
transformer. Figure 3 shows the main interface .
B. Software Realization of Main Program
Lower position machine (temperature controller),
corresponds with upper position machine(HCI) in monitor and
control centre through RS485 .HCI send data to all the
controllers ,which including 1 byte address code,1 byte
function code,2 bytes CRC checking code, and some bytes
other information code. When one of the controllers recognizes
the address ,it exams the function code field, if it is 03h,that
means HCI wants to get the controller’s three-phase working
states, the records of the moment of power-cut as well as the
CRC checking code figured out by temperature controller. HCI
checks whether the CRC checking code received is equal to the
Fig. 3 Main interface of HCI.(Power-cut records.)
one itself just calculated; if yes˄Transmission success˅, it
will write the received three-phase temperature and working
states of temperature controller into Current-State database,
and the information will be found in Current-State datasheet in
main interface, with the corresponding indication light bright
or dark. If the received records of the moment of power-cut
change(Power-Cut happens),it will also write the records into
the Power-Cut database and the information will also show in
the Power-Cut datasheet in main interface. If the function code
field is 05h, that means forcing air blower to start or stop. The
temperature controller do the action and reply the data
including their working states and CRC checking code figured
out by itself. If the two CRC checking code of HCI sent and
received is the same one, that proves they communicate with
each other correctly. The received working states of
temperature will be written into the Current-State database and
be shown in the Current-State datasheet in main interface. And
if the function code is equal to 10h,that means modifying the
control temperature value of temperature controller (air blower
start or stop ˈ alarm and trip ).The temperature controller
answers and sends back the modified temperature value. If the
two CRC code is equal(Transmission success),the received
records will be written into Current –State database, and will
also be shown in Current-Sate datasheet in main interface .If
the function code is equal to none of the three, or the address
code belongs to none of the temperature controllers, that means
communicating data have errors, then drop it and start to send
the next data. Main Flowchart is Figure4 as follows.

Send dada to
controller

Function
Address accord
code =10h

Y
Y

Function
N
code=03h
Controller modify
control temperature
and reply
Y Function
code= 05h
C ontroller reply˖
tem peratureǃ
pow er-cut records Y
R eceived
C RC =send C R C
Start or stop blowers
a nd reply
controllerÿ s
w orking state N N
R eceived C RC = send
N
CRC Y
N

Y W rite control
R eceived C RC =send tem perature into
CR C C urre nt-State shee t

Power-c ut N
records change

N Y
ᰃ
W rite corresponding
W rite corresponding
value into 2
value into C urrent-
datashee ts,corre spon
Sta te datasheet,light Send next data
ding indication light
bright or dark
bright or dark

Fig. 4 Main flowchart.

C.Modbus-RS485 Protocol Introduction[10] the Modbus protocol. This protocol defines a message
structure that controllers will recognize and use, regardless of
1. Modbus Protocol the type of networks over which they communicate. It
The common language used by all Modicon controllers is
describes the process a controller uses to request access to
another device, how it will respond to requests from the other
devices, and how errors will be detected and reported. It
establishes a common format for the layout and contents of
message fields.
Controllers can be setup to communicate on standard
Modbus networks using either of two transmission modes:
ASCII or RTU.
This paper has used the Modbus-RS485 correspondence
protocol to implement the correspondence between lower
position machine(controller) and on the position
machine(HCI),having taken Modbus-RTU (Remote Terminal
Unit) query-response way, with the baud rate 9600 BPS, 8-bit
data as well as non-parity check bit ,and the outset and stop bit
each having 1 .The user can also select another
communication way(Correspondence Port Setting).
2. Modbus Message Framing
A typical RTU message frame is shown below as Table 1.
TABLE 1
RTU MESSAGE FRAME
Start Address Function Data CRC End
T1-T2- 8bit 8bit n x 16bit T1-T2-
T3-T4 8bit T3-T4
D. CRC-16 Checking
In RTU mode, messages include an error–checking field
that is based on a Cyclical Redundancy Check (CRC) method.
The CRC field checks the contents of the entire message. The
CRC value is calculated by the transmitting device, which
appends the CRC to the end of the message. The receiving
device recalculates the CRC of the received message, and
comparing the two CRC, if they are different from each other,
that means the transmission has errors.
Č.CONCLUSION
Embedded ModBus-RS485 protocol, we enhance the
liability of data communication and compatibility of the
system, which makes HCI givethe real-time monitoring and
controlling to 32 dry-type transformers successfully .What
make the whole system of temperature control superior are
the low cost and high reliability of hardware choice and the
perfect software(HMI) functions. It realizes the
transformation from the safe protection of single transformer
to the monitoring and controlling safe operation of entire
electrical power distribution system. The biggest merit of the
temperature control system is HCI system in monitor and
control centre whose function is complete and direct-viewing
and which is operated by user simply and easily .Another
merit is that it is very convenient for user to exert real-time
study on the working temperature of transformers through the
setting of display time and address. The principle of design
and the programming thought, could be applied in other
situations of temperature monitoring and controlling , which
makes it have very high promoted value.
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